Don't Stand So Close To Me
by Ysellyra Tunnelly
Summary: “You are so beautiful when you cry…” he whispered, brushing a stray piece of curly hair from her face. “Is that why you’re doing this? To make me cry?


Don't Stand So Close To Me

_Young teacher the subject_

_Of schoolgirl fantasy_

"Hermione…" Severus started.

"No… please, no, don't say it…" she whispered into his shoulder. "Please, don't tell me…"

"We have to end it…" he said softly, leaning back to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead and rest his chin upon her honey brown curls.

"No, no, please…" she sobbed into his chest.

_She wants him so badly_

_Knows what she wants to be_

"Why?" she pushed him away and looked him in the eye. "Why are you doing this? Don't you remember… how can you give this up? Give _us_ up?"

"I remember. I remember it like it was yesterday," he looked down at her. "You arrived late for class and I gave you a detention."

"And then I was late for detention and we argued." She smiled sadly. "And you grabbed my arms and yelled at me, and I cried because you hurt my arms, and then you held me." She recited it as she had in her head so many times before.

Inside her there's longing This girl's an open page 

"You are so beautiful when you cry…" he whispered, brushing a stray piece of curly hair from her face.

"Is that why you're doing this? To make me cry? Make me angry?" she pushed his hand away and took a step back. "Because you're doing a bloody good job, Severus."

He took a step forward to hold her shoulders, keeping her from running away. "No, I don't want to hurt you. Believe me, I don't want to…" He lifted her chin up so that she was looking him on the eye. Their foreheads touched, and his mouth was so close to hers he could feel the little puffs of breath escaping her lips.

_Book marking – she's so close now_

_This girl is half his age_

His lips ghosted across hers, and she closed her eyes and leaned forward, anticipating their kiss. But he pulled away at the last minute, and as she opened her eyes he saw the surprise and hurt there.

But it was for the best; he feared that if he kissed her may not be able to stop.

_Don't stand, don't stand so,_

_Don't stand so close to me_

_Don't stand, don't stand so,_

_Don't stand so close to me_

"I've given up everything for you, Severus." She whispered, holding back tears. "My friends, my life, everything…"

She remembered cruelly the way the students had reacted when rumour got out about herself and Snape…

"Oi, Granger!" Lavender Brown called across the Common Room. "Is it true you've been getting some special attention from Snape?" she shrieked. Hermione glowered and returned to her work.

"Yeah, Granger- what's this about 'detentions'?" snickered Seamus Finnigan, and the rest of the Common Room laughed along with him.

"Is it true, Hermione?" demanded Ron.

_Her friends are so jealous_

_You know how bad girls get_

Something in Hermione snapped as her best friend made his accusation. "Would it please you all to know I go down every night to fuck him? That we get it on after class all the time, that he crushes me up against the wall of the supply closets during lunch, that he feels me up during class? Does that make you happy? Does that turn you all on, you deprived perverts?" she screeched as loud as she could, standing up and letting her homework fall to the floor. The other students looked at her, stunned by her outburst, none daring to comment.

"You make me sick." She spat at them, before heading out the portrait to her Head Girl dormitory.

_Sometimes it's not so easy_

_To be the teachers pet_

Hermione snapped back into the present from her thoughts.

"I know, Hermione. I can't ever say how much that means to me…" he felt his own eyes start to water at the rawness of her argument.

_Temptation, frustration_

_So bad it makes him cry_

"Then don't- don't leave me!" she cried.

"God, Hermione!" he gasped. "Please! Don't make this harder than it has to be!"

_Wet bus stop, she's waiting_

_His car is warm and dry_

"Oh, it's hard is it?" she yelled. "Funny; it seems as if you're fairly willing to throw this all away!"

"Hermione, please-" He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder.

"Don't touch me." She said coldly, swatting his hand away and taking a step back.

_Don't stand, don't stand so_

_Don't stand so close to me_

_Don't stand, don't stand so_

_Don't stand so close to me_

He closed his eyes a moment to harness his emotions, before opening them to see her throwing open the door from his potions lab to the dungeon corridor beyond.

He walked after her, closing the door shut as he went. He jogged a few steps to reach her and landed a long hand firmly on her shoulder and spun her around.

"I _said_, don't touch me!" she snarled, turning on her heel and starting up the stairs.

"Don't tell me that when you know you don't mean it!" he yelled after her, climbing up the stairs as well.

"How the fuck would _you_ know what I want?" she screamed back at him, not even throwing a glance over her shoulder as her voice echoed in the dimly lit corridor.

"I know you don't want us to end! And for god's sake, neither do I!" he shouted up, and she rounded back on him.

"Then why the hell are you doing this?" she shot venomously at him through gritted teeth, glaring at him before starting up and onto the marble floor of the Entrance Hall.

"Because I have to, you stupid girl!" he yelled, and immediately regretted it as she turned wounded eyes towards him once again.

"Fine. Just- _go_!" she shouted, not caring that her voice echoed around the vast hall.

"Oh, god, Hermione, I didn't mean that! I just- We have to, can't you _see_ that?" he asked, coming towards her.

"Well, no, actually, I can't. Care to assist me?" she snarled.

_Loose words in the classroom_

_To hurt they try and try_

"Everyone knows, Hermione." He said more softly. "_Everyone_! The other students, the staff, Dumbledore, even people out of Hogwarts, for fuck's sake!"

"What does that matter?" she asked tearfully.

"Hermione, just this afternoon Albus and I had an argument. About us. He wants me to end it; If I don't, I'll lose my job, and the ministry will find out and that'll ruin your chances of working with them. It's not going to work, for either of us!" he explained.

_Strong words in the staffroom_

_The accusations fly_

"I don't care!" she screamed at him even though he was barely a foot away. "How long will it take for you to realise that?"

"What you do now will affect your whole future! I will _not_ be the one to mess that up for you!" he stated. His voice took on a softer tone. "You're an incredibly smart witch, Hermione. Job offers will be owled by the pack to you once you graduate; you deserve so much better than me. You're a beautiful, smart, incredible young woman, the last thing you need right now is some ugly middle-aged professor."

"I don't care…" she started to cry again, leaning in, obviously wanting him to hold her, but he couldn't. His legs felt like jelly, his self-control straining, and yet he wasn't even touching her.

_It's no use he sees her_

_He starts to shake and cough_

"I can't…" he whispered against her shoulder as she looked at him, eyes full with unshed tears.

"Fine." She muttered angrily. "Fine… FINE! You know what? Fine! Let's just end it now, shall we? Let's just let it all go down the drain, eh? Fuck you, Severus. Fuck you to hell and back." She yelled, not caring for the few shocked students coming out of the Great Hall.

"I've been to hell, and it's not nearly as bad as here…" he muttered, before turning and walking away.

"Is that so?" yelled Hermione, voice cracking.

He just kept walking.

"Severus?" she screamed at him.

He turned around quickly, glaring at her.

"What?" he spat.

Her red eyes grew cold. "Up yours." She muttered, but loud enough for him and the other students to hear.

There was outraged gasps from the students, who's numbers had grown to almost half the school as everyone finished dinner, and Snape whipped around and continued up the stairs.

"I'm sorry…" the words were barely a whisper from her mouth.

He turned back around slowly. "What did you say."

"I said, I'm sorry." She repeated louder.

He stared at her a long moment before closing his eyes to regain his composure. When he opened them again she was closer, a few meters away at most.

"I'm so sorry…" she started to cry again. "Oh, god, I didn't- I didn't mean that, it just… I'm sorry…" she leant against his chest and started to sob into him.

His body leant against hers, his arms winding their way around her waist unconsciously as they had so many times before.

He leant his head against hers, as she cried into her chest, running her hands under his cloak and around his waist.

The students looked on in horrified amazement.

"Hermione-" he began, but she cut him short by kissing him straight on the lips.

He lost himself in the flavour of those lips, leaning into her and running his hands up her arms and into her wild hair. She whimpered against him as she felt the comforting and familiar weight of his hands behind her head, lifting her head up and kissing her.

"Severus, please let go of Miss Granger." Albus's old voice was weary as it came through the hall.

_Just like the old man in_

_That book by Nabakov_

With one last kiss Severus reluctantly pushed Hermione away, but only a little way.

She looked at him and gave a little smile, which was stopped by Albus Dumbledore coming towards them.

"I did warn you, Severus." He said sadly.

"Albus…" Severus warned, moving in front of Hermione protectively.

"I told you, Severus, that if you didn't stop I would be forced to-"

"You wouldn't dare!" snarled Snape.

"I'm sorry, dear boy, but it's not my decision." Albus said more loudly.

"Yes, I'm afraid that honour goes to me." Fudge stepped out from behind Dumbledore's long shadow and grinned maliciously at the two.

"And what the hell are you going to do about, you jumped up little rodent?" snapped Snape.

"I think a hearing at the Ministry will be in order! Adultery by Miss Granger, Paedophilic actions by yourself; that would be enough to get you a restraining order and a fine at least, maybe even a little stay in Azkaban if it seems Miss Granger has been subjected to any spells, or dare I say it, potions, so that she would be easier to-"

"HOW DARE YOU!" thundered Severus, steeping threateningly over Fudge and raising his hand back to hit him. Fudge's thick-set lackeys came from behind him and grabbed Severus by the arms, pulling him back a safe difference. "How dare you! You think it just goes to that? You know _nothing_ of us, NOTHING!" Severus struggled violently against his capturers, but they held him fast.

"You think we just fucked? Do you? You think I just wanted to break up his marriage? You think he just wanted a quick shag with a teenager? You really think I'd be willing to sacrifice my future for THAT?" Hermione yelled.

"That's exactly what I think, Miss Granger! Oh, yes, I know how your little mind works… Break up the marriage, knock off the old man and get the spoils, haha! And you-" Fudge turned to face Snape again. "You were quite happy to go along with it, weren't you? Who wouldn't jump at the chance to bed a student, especially such a good looking one?"

His triumphant grin was knocked off his face as Hermione lunged at him. His lackeys still caught up with Snape, Fudge was unprotected as Hermione hurled herself at him, knocking him to the ground.

Severus felt a rush of pride as she began to kick and punch every inch of the Minister she could reach before several seventh year Slytherin's dragged her off him.

Fudge stood up, wiping his bleeding forehead and bust lip, a cruel grin curling his mouth. "Attacking the minister to add to that list of offences, is it, Miss Granger? Very well. Take them away!" he pointed dramatically at the door.

_Don't stand, don't stand so,_

_Don't stand so close to me_

"Severus Snape, you are accused of having a sexual relationship with a student in your care, abusing a minor and acting with a paedophilic nature. Do you have anything to say in your defence?" Fudge said smugly, sitting in the front bench of the hearing. Severus shook his head.

"I do!"

He groaned inwardly as Hermione spoke up indignantly.

"Well, Miss Granger, I'm afraid we're not here to listen to what you think." Fudge let his gaze slide leftwards from Snape to the young girl sitting in a chair beside him.

"I don't give a-" she took a deep breath. "I don't care what you're here for. I'm going to say this. This was not solely Sev- Professor Snape's making. I was more than willing in this. I'm almost 18 now, so it's hardly abuse of a minor, or paedophilic. And his marriage; that broke up years ago. They just haven't legalised it. Don't blame him for it all." She threw a glance at Severus. "This relationship was not forced upon me."

Fudge stared at her a second before looking back down at his papers. "The charges still stand." He said, clearing his throat.

Both Severus and Hermione closed her eyes in an effort to cover their weakness.

It didn't work.

Every single witch or wizard on the Wizengamot Council saw the horror that Fudge's words brought the two. And not one of them did anything about it. Not Bones. Not Dumbldore. No one.

_Don't stand, don't stand so_

_Don't stand so close to me_


End file.
